Lakeville North celebrates a point against North St. Paul set of a 2019 Minnesota State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal match at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov 7, 2019. North beat Lakeville North in 3 sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

North High School right side hitter Lauren Stenman (13) winds up for a hit against Lakeville North in the first set of a 2019 Minnesota State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal match at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov 7, 2019. North beat Lakeville North in 3 sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

North High School right side hitter Lauren Stenman (13) reaches out to keep the ball in play against Lakeville North in the third set of a 2019 Minnesota State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal match at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov 7, 2019. North beat Lakeville North in 3 sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

North High School middle hitter Yaiza Franco (10) points at setter Bria Sandifer (16) after scoring a point against Lakeville North in the third set of a 2019 Minnesota State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal match at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov 7, 2019. North beat Lakeville North in 3 sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

North High School defensive specialist Penelope Herr (1) sends a shot into the defense of Lakeville North setter Abby Jandro (7) in the first set of a 2019 Minnesota State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal match at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov 7, 2019. North beat Lakeville North in 3 sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Lakeville North middle hitter Ella Thompson (4) sends a shot into the hands of North High School middle hitter Yaiza Franco (10) in the first set of a 2019 Minnesota State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal match at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov 7, 2019. North beat Lakeville North in 3 sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Lakeville North middle hitter Abbey Milner (11) hits the ball against North High School in the first set of a 2019 Minnesota State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal match at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov 7, 2019. North beat Lakeville North in 3 sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

North High School middle hitter Mina Yener (15) and outside hitter Dani Steckler (3) combine to block a shot from Lakeville North middle hitter Abbey Milner (11) in the second set of a 2019 Minnesota State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal match at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov 7, 2019. North beat Lakeville North in 3 sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

North High School right side hitter Lauren Stenman (13) spikes the ball against the Lakeville North defense in the first set of a 2019 Minnesota State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal match at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov 7, 2019. North beat Lakeville North in 3 sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

North High School right side hitter Lauren Stenman (13) send a point past the outreached arms of Lakeville North defenders in the first set of a 2019 Minnesota State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal match at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov 7, 2019. North beat Lakeville North in 3 sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

North High School right side hitter Lauren Stenman (13) watches her spike elude the block from Lakeville North outside hitter Savannah Polzin (8) and middle hitter Ella Thompson (4) in the second set of a 2019 Minnesota State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal match at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov 7, 2019. North beat Lakeville North in 3 sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

North High School setter Bria Sandifer (16) blocks a Lakeville North shot attempt in the second set of a 2019 Minnesota State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal match at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov 7, 2019. North beat Lakeville North in 3 sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

North High School middle hitter Yaiza Franco (10) spikes the ball past Lakeville North outside hitter Maddy Hornyak (2) and middle hitter Abbey Milner (11) in the second set of a 2019 Minnesota State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal match at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov 7, 2019. North beat Lakeville North in 3 sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

North High School right side hitter Lauren Stenman (13) spikes the ball against Lakeville North in the third set of a 2019 Minnesota State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal match at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov 7, 2019. North beat Lakeville North in 3 sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

North High School middle hitter Yaiza Franco (10) spikes the ball against Lakeville North outside hitter Savannah Polzin (8), left, and middle hitter Abbey Milner (11) in the second set of a 2019 Minnesota State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal match at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov 7, 2019. North beat Lakeville North in 3 sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

North High School middle hitter Mina Yener (15) hits the ball against he defense of Lakeville North outside hitter Maddy Hornyak (2), left, and Lakeville North middle hitter Ella Thompson (4) in the second set of a 2019 Minnesota State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal match at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov 7, 2019. North beat Lakeville North in 3 sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

North High School setter Bria Sandifer (16) stretches to keep the ball in play against Lakeville North in the third set of a 2019 Minnesota State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal match at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov 7, 2019. North beat Lakeville North in 3 sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

North High School head coach Stephanie Blanda gives her team the thumbs up after a point against Lakeville North in the third set of a 2019 Minnesota State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal match at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov 7, 2019. North beat Lakeville North in 3 sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

North High School fans cheer as the Polars take on Lakeville North in the third set of a 2019 Minnesota State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal match at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov 7, 2019. North beat Lakeville North in 3 sets. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

The North High School Polars get high fives from fans after beating Lakeville North in three set of a 2019 Minnesota State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal match at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov 7, 2019. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

North St. Paul was not the least bit starry-eyed on the big stage. Prior to taking the court, the Polars were dancing and singing in their locker room at Xcel Energy Center.

It’s what they’ve done all year. Besides, all the pressure was on their opponent.

“The confidence when we walked out there, you could tell during warmups that it was strong,” coach Stephanie Blanda said.

Ultimately, the unseeded Polars were all smiles after upsetting No. 3 Lakeville North 25-21, 25-22, 25-19 in the Class 3A state volleyball quarterfinals.

“A lot of us before today, we were very anxious. We just wanted to play and win,” said Lauren Stenman.

In the tournament for the first time, the Polars (24-5) now get No. 2 Wayzata in a state semifinal at 11 a.m. Friday. The Trojans (29-3) swept Elk River.

“We knew that Lakeville North was going to be a strong team; they definitely have more experience than us,” said the Polars’ Bria Sandifer. “But we came out and wanted to prove to everybody that North St. Paul is going to be one of the top teams at the end of this tournament.”

Sandifer finished with 37 assists, many of which went to Stenman, who had 23 kills.

“I just really wanted to hammer the ball. I wanted it to hit the floor. I just really wanted to be the strong hitter for my team,” Stenman said.

Stenman had four kills in a 5-0 North St. Paul surge to make it 16-8 in the deciding game. She added two more down the stretch.

Tied 22-all in game two, North St. Paul scored three straight points, including kills by Yaiza Franco and Mina Yener.

“We knew that we had to control the whole game,” Sandifer said.

“There were moments where we were down a few points and we were kind of getting a little frustrated, but we knew that if we were frustrated then we weren’t going to win,” Stenman added. “We just brushed it off to the side and kept pushing through.”

Down 23-13 in the final set, Lakeville North (23-9) scored six of the next seven points before an attack error ended the match.

“We just had to keep pushing; we knew it was our time eventually,” said Jenna Rubbelke, who finished with 24 digs.

“There was a strong steadiness from our opponent that was not our strength tonight,” Panthers coach Jackie Richter said.

North St. Paul lost to Stillwater in the 2017 and 2018 section finals.

“I don’t know if it’s trying to make up for last year as much as continue to prove that we could do it,” Blanda said. “I think we could have done it last year, and we thought we could do it this year.”

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